Pub Date : 2025-11-21DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf163
Julio A Díaz, Ana De la Torriente, J Alex Zumberge, Pilar Ríos, Alberto Serrano, Javier Cristobo, Sergi Taboada, Carlota Gracia-Sancha, Ana Riesgo, Gordon D Love, Enric Massutí, Paco Cárdenas
We propose the creation of Vilesida ord. nov. (Porifera: Demospongiae), initially discovered thanks to molecular markers. Species from this new order share monactinal and diactinal megascleres arranged in a confused halichondrioid fashion and are currently scattered in the orders Suberitida, Bubarida, and Axinellida. All species analysed share a chemical synapomorphy not found in any other eukaryotic group: C30 sterols with an isopropyl group in the sidechain at C-24 as their major membrane sterols. These are precursors of the sterane 24-isopropylcholestane, abundant in some Neoproterozoic oils/rocks and hypothesized to be an early sponge biomarker. We propose: (i) the resurrection of Viles; (ii) its establishment as the type genus of Vilesidae fam. nov., the only family present in the new order; (iii) the reallocation of Petromica and Axinyssa to the new order; and (iv) the creation of Murus gen. nov. in Vilesidae fam. nov. The type species of Murus, Murus hirondellei comb. nov., was previously placed in Phakellia (order Bubarida). In addition, we describe two new species from the Northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean: Murus profunda sp. nov. and Murus sinenotis sp. nov.
我们建议创建Vilesida ord. nov (Porifera: Demospongiae)，最初是通过分子标记发现的。这一新目的物种有单行性和双行性的大囊胞，排列在一种混乱的软海绵形态中，目前分散在Suberitida、Bubarida和Axinellida目中。所有被分析的物种都有一个在其他真核生物类群中没有发现的化学突触：C30甾醇在C-24侧链上有一个异丙基作为它们的主要膜甾醇。它们是甾烷- 24-异丙基胆甾烷的前体，在某些新元古代油/岩石中含量丰富，被认为是早期海绵生物标志物。我们建议：(i)复活维尔斯；（ii）确立其为野蔷薇科模式属。十一月，在新秩序中唯一的家庭；（iii）将Petromica和Axinyssa重新分配到新秩序；（iv）在Vilesidae fam中创建Murus gen. nov.。11 .田鼠属的模式种，田鼠属。11月11日，之前被放置在Phakellia（目Bubarida）。此外，我们还描述了两个来自东北大西洋和地中海的新种：Murus profunda sp. nov和Murus sinenotis sp. nov。
{"title":"Vilesida, a new order of demosponges revealed by molecular phylogeny and abundant 24-isopropylcholesterols (24-ipc sterols)","authors":"Julio A Díaz, Ana De la Torriente, J Alex Zumberge, Pilar Ríos, Alberto Serrano, Javier Cristobo, Sergi Taboada, Carlota Gracia-Sancha, Ana Riesgo, Gordon D Love, Enric Massutí, Paco Cárdenas","doi":"10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf163","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf163","url":null,"abstract":"We propose the creation of Vilesida ord. nov. (Porifera: Demospongiae), initially discovered thanks to molecular markers. Species from this new order share monactinal and diactinal megascleres arranged in a confused halichondrioid fashion and are currently scattered in the orders Suberitida, Bubarida, and Axinellida. All species analysed share a chemical synapomorphy not found in any other eukaryotic group: C30 sterols with an isopropyl group in the sidechain at C-24 as their major membrane sterols. These are precursors of the sterane 24-isopropylcholestane, abundant in some Neoproterozoic oils/rocks and hypothesized to be an early sponge biomarker. We propose: (i) the resurrection of Viles; (ii) its establishment as the type genus of Vilesidae fam. nov., the only family present in the new order; (iii) the reallocation of Petromica and Axinyssa to the new order; and (iv) the creation of Murus gen. nov. in Vilesidae fam. nov. The type species of Murus, Murus hirondellei comb. nov., was previously placed in Phakellia (order Bubarida). In addition, we describe two new species from the Northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean: Murus profunda sp. nov. and Murus sinenotis sp. nov.","PeriodicalId":49333,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145559481","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-18DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf158
Maddison C Randall, Vera Weisbecker, Meg Martin, Kenny J Travouillon, Jake Newman-Martin, D Rex Mitchell
Functional adaptation in the mammalian jaw is often best predicted by the hardest bites an animal makes. Therefore, even when closely related species have otherwise divergent diets, a shared biomechanically challenging resource should be reflected in similar adaptations to jaw biomechanics. We assessed this in two species of rat-kangaroos, whose otherwise differing diets include the extremely tough-shelled seeds of Santalum spp. (sandalwood and/or quandong). We used geometric morphometrics to analyse cranial shape of 161 bettongs (Bettongia spp.), including all four extant species. We identified hard-biting adaptations in both species that crack open Santalum seeds. However, these were not convergent. Bettongia lesueur had shorter facial proportions, indicating greater mechanical advantage, while Bettongia penicillata had a premolar morphology that likely focussed bites to a specific, reinforced position on the jaw. This represents an example of many-to-one mapping at the genus level. We also found differences between captive northern bettongs compared to wild conspecifics, suggesting some role of phenotypic plasticity in shaping adult skulls. The large olfactory tracts of B. penicillata, which support search for underground fungi, might have constrained its cranium to retain longer proportions. Fungal abundance could potentially be an important consideration in identifying translocation sites for this species.
{"title":"Cracking the case: differential adaptations to hard biting dominate cranial shape in rat-kangaroos (Potoroidae: Bettongia ) with divergent diets","authors":"Maddison C Randall, Vera Weisbecker, Meg Martin, Kenny J Travouillon, Jake Newman-Martin, D Rex Mitchell","doi":"10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf158","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf158","url":null,"abstract":"Functional adaptation in the mammalian jaw is often best predicted by the hardest bites an animal makes. Therefore, even when closely related species have otherwise divergent diets, a shared biomechanically challenging resource should be reflected in similar adaptations to jaw biomechanics. We assessed this in two species of rat-kangaroos, whose otherwise differing diets include the extremely tough-shelled seeds of Santalum spp. (sandalwood and/or quandong). We used geometric morphometrics to analyse cranial shape of 161 bettongs (Bettongia spp.), including all four extant species. We identified hard-biting adaptations in both species that crack open Santalum seeds. However, these were not convergent. Bettongia lesueur had shorter facial proportions, indicating greater mechanical advantage, while Bettongia penicillata had a premolar morphology that likely focussed bites to a specific, reinforced position on the jaw. This represents an example of many-to-one mapping at the genus level. We also found differences between captive northern bettongs compared to wild conspecifics, suggesting some role of phenotypic plasticity in shaping adult skulls. The large olfactory tracts of B. penicillata, which support search for underground fungi, might have constrained its cranium to retain longer proportions. Fungal abundance could potentially be an important consideration in identifying translocation sites for this species.","PeriodicalId":49333,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145545824","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-14DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf147
Aurélien Miralles, Robin Schmidt, Andolalao Rakotoarison, Antoine Delaunay, André Freiwald, Ny Ando Rahagalala, Sandratra Rakotomanga, Delina Razafimanafo, Fanomezana M Ratsoavina, Angelica Crottini, Achille P Raselimanana, Frank Glaw, Miguel Vences
Malagasy sand-swimming skinks represent several highly specialized and previously underexplored clades within the monophyletic radiation of scincine lizards of this island. Through comprehensive phylogenomic analyses including newly collected samples, we clarify the evolutionary relationships among these taxa, delimit species boundaries, and formally describe two new species: Voeltzkowia volontany sp. nov. and Voeltzkowia shaihulud sp. nov. Our findings on the genus Voeltzkowia and the equally specialized sand-swimmer genus Grandidierina suggest that species diversity within these psammophilous skinks is underestimated and shaped by a high degree of allopatry. Intriguingly, this unexpected diversity is geographically structured along a newly identified landscape feature, for which we herein coin the name ‘White Sand Belt’. It consists of an aligned series of discrete, isolated white sand patches spanning >1500 km along western Madagascar. The White Sand Belt appears to follow the contours of the western sedimentary basins of the island, and we propose the hypothesis that it represents a key environmental factor in the diversification and distribution of Malagasy sand-swimming skinks and, possibly, other psammophilous organisms.
{"title":"Integrative taxonomy of Madagascar’s sand-swimming skinks (Scincidae: Voeltzkowia , Grandidierina ) and preliminary evidence for an overlooked inland belt of white sand patches across the island’s west","authors":"Aurélien Miralles, Robin Schmidt, Andolalao Rakotoarison, Antoine Delaunay, André Freiwald, Ny Ando Rahagalala, Sandratra Rakotomanga, Delina Razafimanafo, Fanomezana M Ratsoavina, Angelica Crottini, Achille P Raselimanana, Frank Glaw, Miguel Vences","doi":"10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf147","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf147","url":null,"abstract":"Malagasy sand-swimming skinks represent several highly specialized and previously underexplored clades within the monophyletic radiation of scincine lizards of this island. Through comprehensive phylogenomic analyses including newly collected samples, we clarify the evolutionary relationships among these taxa, delimit species boundaries, and formally describe two new species: Voeltzkowia volontany sp. nov. and Voeltzkowia shaihulud sp. nov. Our findings on the genus Voeltzkowia and the equally specialized sand-swimmer genus Grandidierina suggest that species diversity within these psammophilous skinks is underestimated and shaped by a high degree of allopatry. Intriguingly, this unexpected diversity is geographically structured along a newly identified landscape feature, for which we herein coin the name ‘White Sand Belt’. It consists of an aligned series of discrete, isolated white sand patches spanning >1500 km along western Madagascar. The White Sand Belt appears to follow the contours of the western sedimentary basins of the island, and we propose the hypothesis that it represents a key environmental factor in the diversification and distribution of Malagasy sand-swimming skinks and, possibly, other psammophilous organisms.","PeriodicalId":49333,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society","volume":"115 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145509544","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-12DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf149
Menghan Duan, Li Li, Shiying Wang, Thomas A Stidham, Renfei Wang, Xinwei Dong, Dongyu Hu
The morphological transformation of a highly mobile, grasping forelimb into a flapping wing is a key transition in the evolution of bird flight. This evolutionary transformation is characterized by more canalized (restricted) elbow and wrist mobility and a diminished prehensile (grasping) ability of the digits, requiring a suite of osteological modifications. Here, we employ micro-computed tomographic (μCT) imaging to reconstruct the forelimbs of Confuciusornis based on a new specimen from the Lower Cretaceous Jehol Group in western Liaoning, China. Our rendering is the first three-dimensional reconstruction of the forelimb for this key Early Cretaceous bird, revealing critical osteological details that advance our understanding of early flight evolution. The reconstruction reveals previously unrecognized features including canalized structures in the elbow and wrist joints, a relatively smaller triangular pisiform, a hook-like projection on the alular metacarpal, and distinctive digital morphology. We provide detailed morphological descriptions of the elbow, wrist, and metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints, which are essential for evaluating flight capabilities, forelimb folding mechanics, and manual grasping ability. Furthermore, our data support the presence of a cushion-like bone at the distal end of the alular metacarpal of Confuciusornis and demonstrate fusion of this cushion-like bone with the cranial condyle.
{"title":"Morphology of the forelimb of Confuciusornis and its implications for early flight evolution","authors":"Menghan Duan, Li Li, Shiying Wang, Thomas A Stidham, Renfei Wang, Xinwei Dong, Dongyu Hu","doi":"10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf149","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf149","url":null,"abstract":"The morphological transformation of a highly mobile, grasping forelimb into a flapping wing is a key transition in the evolution of bird flight. This evolutionary transformation is characterized by more canalized (restricted) elbow and wrist mobility and a diminished prehensile (grasping) ability of the digits, requiring a suite of osteological modifications. Here, we employ micro-computed tomographic (μCT) imaging to reconstruct the forelimbs of Confuciusornis based on a new specimen from the Lower Cretaceous Jehol Group in western Liaoning, China. Our rendering is the first three-dimensional reconstruction of the forelimb for this key Early Cretaceous bird, revealing critical osteological details that advance our understanding of early flight evolution. The reconstruction reveals previously unrecognized features including canalized structures in the elbow and wrist joints, a relatively smaller triangular pisiform, a hook-like projection on the alular metacarpal, and distinctive digital morphology. We provide detailed morphological descriptions of the elbow, wrist, and metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints, which are essential for evaluating flight capabilities, forelimb folding mechanics, and manual grasping ability. Furthermore, our data support the presence of a cushion-like bone at the distal end of the alular metacarpal of Confuciusornis and demonstrate fusion of this cushion-like bone with the cranial condyle.","PeriodicalId":49333,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society","volume":"119 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145498372","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-11DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf148
Chi-Ngai Tang, Wei-Jen Chen
Anthiadidae, a family of shallow and deep-water reef-associated fishes, include about 250 species distributed widely from tropical to temperate regions, with the majority found in the tropical Indo-West Pacific (IWP). Despite their broad distribution, the phylogeny and taxonomy of this family remain unresolved, particularly at the generic level, due to challenges in sampling from deep-water zones. Plectranthias, the most species-rich genus, has been suspected of non-monophyly since its last revision over 40 years ago. In this study, we explore the phylogenetic relationships of anthiadids using a multigene dataset (one mitochondrial and four nuclear genes) from 103 specimens across 19 genera, with a focus on IWP Plectranthias. Our results confirm the polyphyly of Plectranthias, revealing seven distinct clades. Based on this new phylogenetic framework and morphological re-examinations, we propose a taxonomic revision, including the resurrection of the genera Pelontrus, Sayonara, Xenanthias, and Zalanthias, and the establishment of Aepysomanthias and Poroanthias Tang and Chen gen. nov. The revised taxonomy restricts Plectranthias to 20 currently recognized species.
antiiadidae是浅水和深水珊瑚礁相关鱼类的一个科，包括约250种，广泛分布于热带到温带地区，大多数分布在热带印度-西太平洋（IWP）。尽管它们分布广泛，但由于在深水区取样的挑战，该科的系统发育和分类仍未得到解决，特别是在一般水平上。Plectranthias属是物种最丰富的属，自40多年前的最后一次修订以来，一直被怀疑是非单系的。在这项研究中，我们利用来自19个属103个标本的多基因数据集（1个线粒体基因和4个核基因）来探索抗虫的系统发育关系，重点研究了IWP Plectranthias。我们的研究结果证实了原始兽的多源性，揭示了七个不同的分支。基于这一新的系统发育框架和形态学的重新检验，我们提出了一个新的分类修订，包括恢复Pelontrus、Sayonara、Xenanthias和Zalanthias属，并建立Aepysomanthias和Poroanthias Tang和Chen gen. 11 .。
{"title":"A 40-year taxonomic enigma: multigene phylogeny resolves the polyphyly of Plectranthias (Perciformes: Anthiadidae) and supports a revised taxonomy","authors":"Chi-Ngai Tang, Wei-Jen Chen","doi":"10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf148","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf148","url":null,"abstract":"Anthiadidae, a family of shallow and deep-water reef-associated fishes, include about 250 species distributed widely from tropical to temperate regions, with the majority found in the tropical Indo-West Pacific (IWP). Despite their broad distribution, the phylogeny and taxonomy of this family remain unresolved, particularly at the generic level, due to challenges in sampling from deep-water zones. Plectranthias, the most species-rich genus, has been suspected of non-monophyly since its last revision over 40 years ago. In this study, we explore the phylogenetic relationships of anthiadids using a multigene dataset (one mitochondrial and four nuclear genes) from 103 specimens across 19 genera, with a focus on IWP Plectranthias. Our results confirm the polyphyly of Plectranthias, revealing seven distinct clades. Based on this new phylogenetic framework and morphological re-examinations, we propose a taxonomic revision, including the resurrection of the genera Pelontrus, Sayonara, Xenanthias, and Zalanthias, and the establishment of Aepysomanthias and Poroanthias Tang and Chen gen. nov. The revised taxonomy restricts Plectranthias to 20 currently recognized species.","PeriodicalId":49333,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145484844","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-09DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf144
Zineb Lebouazda, Karim Mezali, Alexandra Anh-Thu Weber, Dina Lila Soualili, Anne Chenuil
In the Ophioderma longicaudum species complex, previous studies identified five biological species: three broadcast spawners, including O. longicaudum s.s., and two brooders. This study explores the phylogeography of the complex, incorporating novel samples from its Western range: Algeria and the French Atlantic coast. We analysed 66 new COI and 65 new EF1 sequences alongside 869 published COI and 116 EF1 sequences. Based on these markers, all new specimens belonged to O. longicaudum s.s. This species displayed limited genetic differentiation among localities and a nearly significant isolation-by-distance pattern, although the most abundant haplotypes spanned from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Atlantic. This weak genetic structure, unusual for a species with lecithotrophic larvae, likely reflects large effective population sizes. A survey of gonad developmental stages showed that most Algerian individuals spawned between July and August but some showed reproductive activity in March—a period unreported for broadcast spawners—suggesting possible brooding in Algeria. However, additional unlinked genetic markers are needed to include the Algerian and Atlantic genotypes in a global multilocus biogeographical dataset in order to delimit species. As new populations of this abundant species are discovered, this study, with its updated genetic database, will be invaluable for integrative taxonomy.
{"title":"Phylogeography of the Atlanto-Mediterranean brittle star Ophioderma longicaudum (Ophiuroidea, Echinodermata) with new gonad histology and genetic data from Algeria","authors":"Zineb Lebouazda, Karim Mezali, Alexandra Anh-Thu Weber, Dina Lila Soualili, Anne Chenuil","doi":"10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf144","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf144","url":null,"abstract":"In the Ophioderma longicaudum species complex, previous studies identified five biological species: three broadcast spawners, including O. longicaudum s.s., and two brooders. This study explores the phylogeography of the complex, incorporating novel samples from its Western range: Algeria and the French Atlantic coast. We analysed 66 new COI and 65 new EF1 sequences alongside 869 published COI and 116 EF1 sequences. Based on these markers, all new specimens belonged to O. longicaudum s.s. This species displayed limited genetic differentiation among localities and a nearly significant isolation-by-distance pattern, although the most abundant haplotypes spanned from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Atlantic. This weak genetic structure, unusual for a species with lecithotrophic larvae, likely reflects large effective population sizes. A survey of gonad developmental stages showed that most Algerian individuals spawned between July and August but some showed reproductive activity in March—a period unreported for broadcast spawners—suggesting possible brooding in Algeria. However, additional unlinked genetic markers are needed to include the Algerian and Atlantic genotypes in a global multilocus biogeographical dataset in order to delimit species. As new populations of this abundant species are discovered, this study, with its updated genetic database, will be invaluable for integrative taxonomy.","PeriodicalId":49333,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145472842","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-09DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf155
Xinpeng Fan, Lingzhi Ye, Kangqiao Dong, Bing Ni, Zhiwei Gong, Xiaotian Luo, Thiago da Silva Paiva, Yuan Xu
Cortical granules are minute, normally extrusive organelles with multiple forms and functions, found beneath the pellicle of various ciliates, which have long been acknowledged as taxonomically relevant features, especially for the Hypotricha. However, proper assessment of their relevance to systematics is still limited by the scarcity of ultrastructural data allowing for fine-tuning homology recognition among the different kinds of granules. In this study, the morphology of cortical granules from five hypotrichous ciliates was examined using electron microscopy for the first time, revealing them to be extrusomes of different types. The results suggest the widespread presence of extrusomes among hypotrichs and explain their biogenesis after electron microscopy observations. Concurrently, phylogenetic analyses were performed using the Small Subunit Ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene to map the distribution of these organelles onto different taxa and discuss their evolution within the Dorsomarginalia and Kentrurostylida. Our findings indicate that pigmentocysts appear at various phylogenetic positions and emerged relatively late, exemplifying convergent evolution, and that similarities among extrusome types are relevant for delineating natural groups. Based on our results, new insights to hypotrichs systematics are proposed based on cortical granules: (i) the morphology and distribution patterns of the granules are now used to delineate major clades of the order Kentrurostylida, shedding light on the non-monophyly of the genera Anteholosticha, Bakuella, and Neobakuella; (ii) the redefinition of Pseudokeronopsidae, Pseudourostylidae, and Thigmokeronopsinae; and (iii) the recognition of pigmentocysts as a diagnostic feature and possible synapomorphy of the sister-clade of Stylonychinae, within Dorsomarginalia.
{"title":"Thorough assessment of cortical granules is the next level in hypotrichs’ systematics (Alveolata: Ciliophora: Hypotricha)","authors":"Xinpeng Fan, Lingzhi Ye, Kangqiao Dong, Bing Ni, Zhiwei Gong, Xiaotian Luo, Thiago da Silva Paiva, Yuan Xu","doi":"10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf155","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf155","url":null,"abstract":"Cortical granules are minute, normally extrusive organelles with multiple forms and functions, found beneath the pellicle of various ciliates, which have long been acknowledged as taxonomically relevant features, especially for the Hypotricha. However, proper assessment of their relevance to systematics is still limited by the scarcity of ultrastructural data allowing for fine-tuning homology recognition among the different kinds of granules. In this study, the morphology of cortical granules from five hypotrichous ciliates was examined using electron microscopy for the first time, revealing them to be extrusomes of different types. The results suggest the widespread presence of extrusomes among hypotrichs and explain their biogenesis after electron microscopy observations. Concurrently, phylogenetic analyses were performed using the Small Subunit Ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene to map the distribution of these organelles onto different taxa and discuss their evolution within the Dorsomarginalia and Kentrurostylida. Our findings indicate that pigmentocysts appear at various phylogenetic positions and emerged relatively late, exemplifying convergent evolution, and that similarities among extrusome types are relevant for delineating natural groups. Based on our results, new insights to hypotrichs systematics are proposed based on cortical granules: (i) the morphology and distribution patterns of the granules are now used to delineate major clades of the order Kentrurostylida, shedding light on the non-monophyly of the genera Anteholosticha, Bakuella, and Neobakuella; (ii) the redefinition of Pseudokeronopsidae, Pseudourostylidae, and Thigmokeronopsinae; and (iii) the recognition of pigmentocysts as a diagnostic feature and possible synapomorphy of the sister-clade of Stylonychinae, within Dorsomarginalia.","PeriodicalId":49333,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society","volume":"39 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145472865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-09DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf159
Alan R Batistão, Jorge A Audino, Ella Frigyik, Lenita F Tallarico, Gisele O Introíni, Flávio D Passos, Gonzalo Giribet
Tellinoidea, one of the most diverse superfamilies of Bivalvia, include 954 extant species classified into five families. Although the monophyly of Tellinoidea is well corroborated by morphological and molecular data, the monophyly of the individual families and their relationships remain contentious, hampering further macroevolutionary studies. By using an ultraconserved element probe set recently developed for the class Bivalvia, we captured 825 ultraconserved elements from 33 fresh and historical museum specimens and produced a phylogeny for Tellinoidea with strong support for its internal relationships. Our analyses recovered Donacidae as monophyletic, whereas Solecurtidae were inferred as paraphyletic, and Psammobiidae, Semelidae, and Tellinidae were resolved as polyphyletic lineages. The results reinforce the need for reassessment of these families, because phylogenetic evidence suggests, for example, that semelids and the genus Sanguinolaria are nested within Tellinidae. Leveraging this phylogenetic framework, we estimated ancestral states of four key traits: burrowing depth, feeding habit, tentacle form, and the number of siphonal tentacles in the incurrent aperture. Our results show lineage-specific variations of the siphon anatomy and specialization for deposit-feeding behaviour. Overall, we also highlight evolutionary convergences and discuss potential scenarios for the diversification of tellinoids in shallow-water environments.
{"title":"Ultraconserved element-based phylogenomics and siphonal traits illuminate the evolution of tellinoidean clams (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Tellinoidea)","authors":"Alan R Batistão, Jorge A Audino, Ella Frigyik, Lenita F Tallarico, Gisele O Introíni, Flávio D Passos, Gonzalo Giribet","doi":"10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf159","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf159","url":null,"abstract":"Tellinoidea, one of the most diverse superfamilies of Bivalvia, include 954 extant species classified into five families. Although the monophyly of Tellinoidea is well corroborated by morphological and molecular data, the monophyly of the individual families and their relationships remain contentious, hampering further macroevolutionary studies. By using an ultraconserved element probe set recently developed for the class Bivalvia, we captured 825 ultraconserved elements from 33 fresh and historical museum specimens and produced a phylogeny for Tellinoidea with strong support for its internal relationships. Our analyses recovered Donacidae as monophyletic, whereas Solecurtidae were inferred as paraphyletic, and Psammobiidae, Semelidae, and Tellinidae were resolved as polyphyletic lineages. The results reinforce the need for reassessment of these families, because phylogenetic evidence suggests, for example, that semelids and the genus Sanguinolaria are nested within Tellinidae. Leveraging this phylogenetic framework, we estimated ancestral states of four key traits: burrowing depth, feeding habit, tentacle form, and the number of siphonal tentacles in the incurrent aperture. Our results show lineage-specific variations of the siphon anatomy and specialization for deposit-feeding behaviour. Overall, we also highlight evolutionary convergences and discuss potential scenarios for the diversification of tellinoids in shallow-water environments.","PeriodicalId":49333,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society","volume":"216 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145472837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-09DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf152
Pedro Peñaherrera-R., Juan M Guayasamin
This study presents the first comprehensive morphology-based phylogenetic analysis encompassing all described species of Cymbiapophysa Gabriel and Sherwood, 2020. We provide an updated and refined phylogenetic hypothesis that resolves relationships among closely related taxa and supports the recognition of a new theraphosid clade. Preliminary analysis of this clade suggests that unconventional characters of the male palpal bulb may have untapped potential for generic-level differentiation within Theraphosidae. Further, the recovered topologies support the recognition of a new genus, Tandayarachne gen. nov. The new genus is composed of a new species from the Tandayapa Cloud Forest Station, Western Ecuador, and a previously misplaced species of Neischnocolus Petrunkevitch, 1925 from Colombia. Notably, the paratype female of the latter species is reassigned to Neischnocolus and proposed here as a new species based on distinct spermathecal morphology. Integrating our phylogenetic hypothesis with character optimization and ancestral character state reconstruction, we identify evolutionary trends in keel-nested characters, further providing support for genera delimitation on the studied clade. We discuss the current impediments facing the taxonomy of the subfamily Theraphosinae, with a specific focus on the underestimation of proper morphological analysis of the palpal bulbs in taxonomic assessments. Finally, we discuss the geographical distribution of the new genus and propose plausible scenarios to explain its disjunct distribution.
{"title":"Between cloud forests and museums: testing tarantula (Araneae: Theraphosidae) generic boundaries reveals a new montane genus from Ecuador and Colombia","authors":"Pedro Peñaherrera-R., Juan M Guayasamin","doi":"10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf152","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf152","url":null,"abstract":"This study presents the first comprehensive morphology-based phylogenetic analysis encompassing all described species of Cymbiapophysa Gabriel and Sherwood, 2020. We provide an updated and refined phylogenetic hypothesis that resolves relationships among closely related taxa and supports the recognition of a new theraphosid clade. Preliminary analysis of this clade suggests that unconventional characters of the male palpal bulb may have untapped potential for generic-level differentiation within Theraphosidae. Further, the recovered topologies support the recognition of a new genus, Tandayarachne gen. nov. The new genus is composed of a new species from the Tandayapa Cloud Forest Station, Western Ecuador, and a previously misplaced species of Neischnocolus Petrunkevitch, 1925 from Colombia. Notably, the paratype female of the latter species is reassigned to Neischnocolus and proposed here as a new species based on distinct spermathecal morphology. Integrating our phylogenetic hypothesis with character optimization and ancestral character state reconstruction, we identify evolutionary trends in keel-nested characters, further providing support for genera delimitation on the studied clade. We discuss the current impediments facing the taxonomy of the subfamily Theraphosinae, with a specific focus on the underestimation of proper morphological analysis of the palpal bulbs in taxonomic assessments. Finally, we discuss the geographical distribution of the new genus and propose plausible scenarios to explain its disjunct distribution.","PeriodicalId":49333,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145472840","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-03DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf140
Christoph G Höpel, Shane T Ahyong, Stefan M Eberhard, Stephen Fordyce, Martin Kapun, Martin Schwentner, Stefan Richter
The Tasmanian mountain shrimps (Malacostraca: Anaspides) are enigmatic freshwater crustaceans that entered the subterranean habitat multiple times independently during Pleistocene times. Some lineages are exclusively stygomorphic species, such as Anaspides eberhardi (Ahyong, 2016), whereas others, such as Anaspides richardsoni (Ahyong, 2016), have surface and cave forms. Two different models for speciation have been suggested for recent colonization events of caves: the climatic relict hypothesis and the adaptive shift hypothesis. The major difference is the absence (climatic relict hypothesis) or presence (adaptive shift hypothesis) of gene flow during divergence, corresponding to allopatric and parapatric speciation. Herein, we present a phylogenetic analysis of the obligate cave-dwelling species A. eberhardi and two closely related species using double digest restriction-site associated DNA (ddRAD) and COI datasets. Despite the detected mito-nuclear discordance, the extensive ddRAD datasets clearly support the monophyly of each species. However, we detected one instance of localized introgression into A. eberhardi from a surface population of A. richardsoni, whereas syntopically occurring populations with an undescribed species showed no evidence of interbreeding. Our data support a single origin of A. eberhardi during the Pleistocene, followed by underground dispersal and extinction of surface populations, all in correlation with glacial events. This clearly favours the climatic relict hypothesis as the mode of speciation.
{"title":"Comparative phylogeography and speciation in correlation with cave colonization in Tasmanian mountain shrimps (Crustacea: Anaspidacea: Anaspides )","authors":"Christoph G Höpel, Shane T Ahyong, Stefan M Eberhard, Stephen Fordyce, Martin Kapun, Martin Schwentner, Stefan Richter","doi":"10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf140","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf140","url":null,"abstract":"The Tasmanian mountain shrimps (Malacostraca: Anaspides) are enigmatic freshwater crustaceans that entered the subterranean habitat multiple times independently during Pleistocene times. Some lineages are exclusively stygomorphic species, such as Anaspides eberhardi (Ahyong, 2016), whereas others, such as Anaspides richardsoni (Ahyong, 2016), have surface and cave forms. Two different models for speciation have been suggested for recent colonization events of caves: the climatic relict hypothesis and the adaptive shift hypothesis. The major difference is the absence (climatic relict hypothesis) or presence (adaptive shift hypothesis) of gene flow during divergence, corresponding to allopatric and parapatric speciation. Herein, we present a phylogenetic analysis of the obligate cave-dwelling species A. eberhardi and two closely related species using double digest restriction-site associated DNA (ddRAD) and COI datasets. Despite the detected mito-nuclear discordance, the extensive ddRAD datasets clearly support the monophyly of each species. However, we detected one instance of localized introgression into A. eberhardi from a surface population of A. richardsoni, whereas syntopically occurring populations with an undescribed species showed no evidence of interbreeding. Our data support a single origin of A. eberhardi during the Pleistocene, followed by underground dispersal and extinction of surface populations, all in correlation with glacial events. This clearly favours the climatic relict hypothesis as the mode of speciation.","PeriodicalId":49333,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society","volume":"4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145427749","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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